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Hampshire's Leading Ladies

07 March 2018

To mark International Women's Day and Mother's Day, we pay tribute to the dynamic women leading the way in Hampshire's food, drink and craft businesses. Across the county a determined and talented band of women are forging careers in sectors including farming, wine making, baking and cheesemaking. Introducing just a handful of these leading ladies.

EMMA RICE: DIRECTOR AND WINEMAKER AT HATTINGLEY VALLEY

There is no doubt that Hampshire is growing in notoriety as a wine-making region and Emma Rice certainly has a seat reserved at the helm.

Director and wine maker at Hattingley Valley Wines, Emma has been involved in creating their range of wines for almost ten years.

ROMILLA ARBER: Founder of Honesty group

Honesty was set up by former solicitor, Romilla Arber, to bring honest food to the table. With a focus on transparency Honesty Group now encompasses a bakery, five cafes, a pub with rooms and a cookery school.

Determined to engage younger generations in good, all profits from Romilla's cookery book sales are invested in food education projects across the UK.

MELISSA O'DWYEr: BAKER and FOUnDER OF LITTLE BEE BAKERY

Melissa begun baking biscuits and cakes to order in her kitchen. Five years on and she employs a team of staff, has relocated to larger premises and now supplies retailers including John Lewis and The Southern Co-op.

Leaving her full-time office job to start up Little Bee Bakery was a gamble but her brave decision and hard work has paid off.